Tonight I discovered a Mormon Studies Magazine that I was not previously aware of. BYU- Idaho Perspective is sort of the small college equivalent of BYU Studies, The Religious Educator, and Something else all rolled into one.(more…)

In a recent post I pointed out that our scriptures unequivocally command us to “spread the wealth”. That commandment is an undeniable fact when it comes to us as individuals. The question is whether government programs designed to spread the wealth are a good idea or not. I don’t claim to have the definitive answer to that question but the argument many participants in that discussion gave against such government programs is clearly bogus. Here it is:

Argument: “Any law that compels or coerces people to do good acts is Satanic”(more…)

BYY pulled off the victory today against the UNLV Rebels but it was a close call. The final score was 42-35. I suppose we shouldn’t complain about 42 points scored bust I thought the offense looked just slightly above average. The defense is looking painfully slow these days. It appears that BYU has traded the “bend don’t break” defense for a “bend and break” defense. Not a good sign. In the past two years BYU has gotten better and better throughout the season. This team doesn’t appear to be getting better from game to game. If the Cougs want a chance at winning the MWC they had better fix that problem pronto.

The website Mormons for Marriage (which opposes the church in its support of Proposition 8) has failed (or refused) to post my response that I wrote to Morris Thurston, so I decided to post it here:

Mr. Thurston: I have read your document responding to the Churchâ€™s 12 points. Let me say that I appreciate your taking the time to write, but ultimately find it to be misleading. Let me elucidate. First, a little about my background. I have practiced in the areas of Constitutional litigation and education law for approximately 23 years. I have represented LDSFS in several cases, though I havenâ€™t done so in the last 10 years. I believe that I can assess your arguments based on my experience and knowledge of these areas. Letâ€™s take them one-by-one: (more…)

Socialism refers to an economic theory of social organization advocating social or collective ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and the creation of an egalitarian society where one’s labor is the only important, individual factor of production. …

Socialists mainly share the belief that capitalism by nature concentrates power and wealth among a small segment of society that controls capital, and creates an unequal society. All socialists advocate the creation of an egalitarian society, in which wealth and power are distributed more evenly, although there is considerable disagreement among socialists over how, and to what extent this could be achieved.

[Update] Well it is over. BYU got their butts handed to them in Fort Worth by the TCU Horned Frogs. The final score was TCU 32 BYU 7. TCU was simply better tonight in all facets of the game. This game is the culmination of the disconcerting trend for the Cougs that started with Utah State and continued with New Mexico. BYU didn’t look nearly as strong as their ranking would have indicated in those games and they showed that tonight.

At least BYU will not have as much pressure on them going forward. It will be interesting to see how the team responds over the next several weeks.

As a Business Analyst, the mantra I try to remember every day while I try to figure out how the company is doing, why it is the way it is, and what we can and should do, is that correlation is not causation. Sometimes logical fallacies are put forth by well-intentioned people and actions are taken based on that faulty logic which could have been more effective if superseded by a nice dose of common sense. In our LDS setting, let me put forth a few examples, having to do with conversion and retention.

1. 50% of youth are inactive before they reach the age of 12, Therefore Primary Teachers are the most important calling in the Church.(more…)

Reminds me of last night’s VP debate. Sure, Biden won handily but Palin stayed scrappy and got a moral victory of sorts out of it.

It is probably a very good thing for BYU. It will humble them. The BYU offense was fairly weak (by BYU standards). The kicking game was weak (two missed field goals??). And the defense gave up two late touchdowns. BYU needs work still. But getting humbled in a win is always better than being humbled by a loss so the Cougs roll on. I expect a better game next week.